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Nelson area youth asked to search for answers

The SelfDesign High School TEDx event is now in its third year and has had a strong youth element since its inception.

The first year, local youth hosted the event and led the audience elegantly and strongly through the theme “Co-inspiring the Future.” Young artists painted live, shared their homemade musical beats, interviewed a local community leader and performed exquisite spoken word.

Year two explored the theme “Through the Crucible: the Pain and Blessing of Conscious Change.” Youth spoke of their life-changing experiences in Haiti, there was a powerful spoken word piece and a evocative visual statement by a young artist.

This year the TEDx SelfDesign High event takes place at 402 Victoria Street on November 17, turning its full focus on youth by asking, “What do Youth Need to Thrive?” You will have the opportunity to hear a number of youth speak, as well as other experienced and wise perspectives on this topic.

As mentors, we have the honour and pleasure to hear our youth’s voices tackle diverse topics in reflective voices and speak out on what matters to them. Recently, one young person, who has had almost every educational experience possible, wrote a letter to the Nelson Star. She opens, “I am a 17-year-old girl who has had a diverse educational history....” She continues to describe how she is flourishing in this independent school and asks, “...why is alternative independent education given less social regard, government funding and academic credibility than the public school system? Alternative learning has given me more social care, a sense of community, and full opportunity to explore and achieve my own learning plans. Learning is completely diverse as are the people invested in it.”

Another youth reveals her desire for her spirituality to be present in her learning environment, and presents a picture of our current education system, which she feels was “...designed so many years ago to produce conformist factory workers and a small percentage of analytical professionals, and our modern consumerist and ‘achievement’-orientated society, young people are bombarded with pressure to focus on the three ‘R’s, fitting in to cultural ‘norms’ and making the most money.”

The intricate and complex workings of our society have created barriers between age groups and made multi-generational events almost obsolete. Where public spaces are given over to the priority of consumerism and private endeavours, TEDx SelfDesign High School is a free event that peels away barriers and opens an expansive space where youth voice their hopes, dreams and stories of how they see the world, and what they need to thrive in it.

Check out the speaker line up at the event website: tedxselfdesignhighschool.com. Limited seats remaining. Reserve your seats by sending an email to info@selfdesignhigh.org with Subject Line: “TEDx SDH Seat Reservation” Please indicate the number of seats you would like to reserve (up to 4).

SelfDesign High is a distributed learning high school with a liberal arts and peace studies foundation. They offer student-centred, enquiry-based programs which include the entire BC grade 10-12 high school graduation program as well as a diversity of dynamic independent studies and community initiatives. For more information go to selfdesignhigh.org

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.

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